Childhood: A Fable Story
by Sir Jason Gray
Summary: Sixteen years after the Hero-King of Albion created his kingdom, a tyrant reigns with an iron fist. A bandit thug controls the forest roads, and even the most loyal soldiers are discontent. A revolution is brewing. The people need a leader. They need a Hero. Who shall it be? Part 3 of a series.
1. Good Mourning Albion, Part One

**Author's Note: This is Part 3 in a series stretching from the final events of Fable 2 to the events of Fable: The Journey. I am a big fan of the Fable franchise, but in my opinion, Fable 3 was a disappointment compared to Fable 2. I'll create my own quests and regions for this series, and in this AU, the events of Fable 3 are only about 25 years after Fable 2. If you are interested in the previous two parts, click on my name above and read "After" and "Birth of a Kingdom."**

 **Review and follow! I update every weekend.**

 **Chapter 1: Good Mourning Albion, Part One**

 _Bowerstone Castle, sixteen years later…_

Morning began as it usually did in the city of Bowerstone, the capital and largest city of the kingdom of Albion. As the sun's first rays kissed the dirty cobbled streets of the city's Industrial Quarter, scores of impoverished children in ragged work overalls and tattered shoes trudged into the beginning of their work days. The sun illuminated their young faces as stricken by desperation and hunger. Stall vendors hawked their goods as loudly as they could in competition with the clamor of machines coming to life. Lingering over the entire city, the odor of the Industrial refuse mingled with the appetizing aromas of fresh baked pastries. Beggars along the city streets rolled up their makeshift beds to begin their day of begging.

And high above it all, Bowerstone Castle loomed over the city, home to Albion's ruler King Logan and his younger brother and heir, Prince Robin.

The royal staff began their arduous day of upkeep by rousing the royal brothers from their slumber. Jasper, the butler and head of the household staff, personally undertook the task of waking the Prince. As Jasper strode down the plush, embroidered carpet of the Castle to the Prince's chambers, he fretfully wrung his wrinkled hands together. However, he was still head of the household staff and forced a smile upon his face as Jasper passed other servants and the Castle guards on his way to the exterior passage to the Prince's chambers.

Like the rest of the Castle's private chambers, the Prince's chambers consisted of a long hallway, an antechamber where the Prince conducted business and met with important guest, his bedchamber, and a lavatory to the side of the bedchamber. Jasper proceeded into the bedchamber. The Prince lay behind half-shuttered velvet bed curtains in his pajamas. Jasper proceeded to wake the Prince and the guest under his bedsheets by opening the heavy crimson curtains of the Prince's floor-to-ceiling windows. "Another lovely day in Bowerstone."

Prince Robin stirred unwillingly. His fair skin complimented the Prince's dirty blond, upswept hair sticking out of his nightcap. Robin glared at Jasper with dark blue eyes "Go away, Jasper."

"I'm here to wake you for your breakfast appointment. Lady Elise of Brightwood is in the gardens awaiting your arrival. If I may…"

Robin sprang from his bed and threw back his sheets to reveal his "guest": A black and white Collie. The dog jumped to her feet too and licked at Robin's face. "Not now, Lady. I've got a very important date with Elise this morning. And I need you to be on your best behavior."

"Since this date is so important, would you like my suggestions on the most appropriate attire for the occasion?"

"I will wear only the finest attire this morning, Jasper. Today is the day I at last ask Lady Elise to be my wife."

 _Bowerstone Castle_

After waking Prince Robin and seeing the ebullient young Prince to his breakfast, Jasper returned to the heart of the Castle. King Logan was scheduled to meet with a few of his guards, but Jasper needed the King's approval on the lunch menu. As the aged butler strode the halls of the castle, a maid ran frantically ran up to him. "Mister Jasper! Mister Jasper! Do something, quickly, please?"

Jasper struggled to maintain his composure. "What seems to be the problem?"

"Mister Jasper, there are protestors gathered in front of the Castle! They're threatening to storm in if…"

"There is no need to worry. Jasper, instruct the guards to shoot them if they cross the courtyard. They are permitted to use extreme force if necessary to keep protestors outside the main wall." King Logan, Ruler of Albion and the Lesser Isles, strolled down the corridor behind Jasper. In his gold armored King Suit, Logan presented a tall, imposing figure.

"Your Majesty," Jasper began with a deferential bow, "if I may…"

King Logan glared imperiously upon Jasper. "Watch your words, Jasper. Do not presume that you are afforded more security because of your acquaintanceship with my late father."

"The Old King vanished, your Majesty. We do not know that he died."

"I shall permit you that offense only because you speak truthfully. Follow my orders or I shall deal with you as a traitor."

Jasper bowed. "Yes, Your Majesty, I shall instruct the guards at once."

Logan passed Jasper and the maid without another word. The maid waited until King Logan had passed and leaned in close to Jasper. "Y'know, Mister Jasper, there's talk in Bowerstone of a resistance trying to set a new king upon the throne. D'you think…"

The maid was cut short as a magical golden blades penetrated the maid's chest and back. She collapsed with a grunt into Jasper's arms and was dead before the aged butler let her drop to the floor. Logan stood a few feet further down the hall with his left hand still raised; he had cast the spell. Folding his hands together, Logan instructed, "Jasper, if you'll be so kind to remind the staff that _any_ traitorous speech will result in their execution for treason. It would mitigate the high turnover rate of our staff." With that, Logan strode off down the corridors.

Bowerstone Castle

Lady Elise of Brightwood overlooked the city of Bowerstone with her back toward Prince Robin as he approached her. In the early morning light, her massive curly blonde hair shone with a golden hue. It highlighted her ivory white day dress. Robin thought to himself, I wonder if she will look like that on our wedding day.

Collie rushed enthusiastically to greet Elise, dampening Robin's plan to surprise her. Elise turned and her bright blue eyes sparkled when she greeted the dog. Robin was lost for words when Elise's eyes turned to him. "Well good morning, handsome Prince. Have you come to save me from the attack of this vicious beast?"

Robin chuckled. Elise stood up and he gathered her into his arms. He placed a ravishing, hungry kiss upon Elise's soft lips. "How was that for a rescue?"

"I feel safer already."

"What were you doing in the garden? I had hoped to join you in the dining hall for breakfast. Why were you out here?"

Elise walked to the edge of the overlook. Robin joined her and took her delicate right hand in his slightly larger left one. "I heard that a worker in the Industrial quarter was executed publicly by royal decree from King Logan."

"Yes, that would be terrible, but...treason…"

"It wasn't for treason," Elise said through gritted teeth. "Logan ordered a worker publicly executed by calling it treason but all she did was ask for a break."

Robin's mouth gaped open and he dropped Elise's hand. "You...It must be a rumor, surely. A malicious rumor…"

"I don't believe it was a rumor, Robin. I think it is the truth. I think Logan is having workers killed for treason whenever they grow weary. These people aren't machines."

Robin shook his head. "Logan is the rightful king. Why would he make the decision to have someone killed for treason otherwise? Perhaps the rumor is just a rumor."

"Logan has not been a strong king in a long time, Robin. The people are afraid of him. He is unpredictable and erratic. Worse yet, Reaver acts as his agent in Industrial, employing children and forcing workers to labor 20 hours a day or longer. Something must be done."

Robin turned to Elise. He forced a smile to his face but meeting her blue eyes with his green ones allowed Robin's smile to seem real. "I'll talk to Logan. Perhaps I can convince him to be more lenient with the workers."

"They need more change than that."

"Elise, how many times must I tell you…" Elise looked away. Despairing at the tone of their conversation, Robin sighed, took Elise's hands in his, and sank to one knee.

"Robin, what are you doing?"

"I'm changing the tone of our conversation." Robin reached into the pocket of his elegant coat with his left hand and pulled out a ring box. "Will you marry me?"

"Yes! Yes!" Elise jumped up and down and clapped her hands happily.


	2. Royal Decrees

**Chapter 2: Royal Decrees**

 _Mistpeak Valley_

As the sun continued its gradual rise over the Alban lands, two opposing forces also roused from their night's slumber in the mountainous valley of the Mistpeak region. The valley's largest feature, a pristine lake, divided the two opposing sides like a battlefield. Each side of the lake had its own camp.

On the north side of the lake, wooden vans, makeshift horse stables, and dwindling campfires marked the temporary settlement of the Mistpeak Dwellers. The Mistpeak Dwellers had lived in the mountainous valley for generations, growing sustaining but not profitable crops of potatoes, carrots, and anything else that would thrive in the stubborn soil. They had prospered for generations on the strength of their trading abilities and their wit, which had enabled the Mistpeak Dwellers to nurture trade routes throughout Albion.

On the south side of the lake, makeshift canvas tents adorned the verdant shores with several Albion flags flying over the tents. This was the camp of the Swift Brigade of the Albion Army. As dawn's rays stretched over the camp, soldiers roused from their sleep and shuffled off to the lake to gather their bathing water. Several soldiers stoked new fires to life to prepare breakfasts for the entire brigade. The soldiers throughout the camp allowed themselves a languid start to the new day; the brigade was not there on a violent or urgent mission.

Four men mounted on horses and dressed in full regalia departed from the camp as the sun cleared the tops of the mountains and flooded the valley with its light. The man in front wore the red coat and gold shoulder tassels of a major in the army; his elegant and delicately- laundered coat complimented his proud, well-groomed mustache. This was Major Jack Swift, leader of the brigade. Riding behind him, a blond man with well-groomed blond hair and a captain's red coat with silver buttons; this was Captain Ben Finn, the youngest man of his rank in the entire army. The last two men behind them wore standard issue red coats and tall caps. Both were privates, one named Stephen and the other named Edward.

The four men rode around the banks of the lake on a packed dirt road through the towering pines that characterized the lake to the Mistpeak Dwellers' camp. Just before the road passed through the camp, the Dwellers had erected a makeshift wall of bound together logs driven into the semif-frozen earth. Two men, armed with pikes, stood on either side of the road and dressed in the thick fur coats that Dwellers wore to protect themselves from the valley's high altitude temperature variances. The men from the Swift brigade did not dismount from their horses.

"Good morning, gentlemen. We are here to speak to Sabine," Major Swift announced to the guards. "If you would be so kind as to permit us to see him, we will speak with Sabine and be on our way."

"We're under orders from Sabine to not allow anyone, especially your lot, into the camp," said the guard standing in front of Major Swift. "And we're not leaving."

"From your post or in general?" Captain Finn inquired.

The two guards glared at the blond man. Major Swift did not glance as his subordinate. You "Gentlemen, you know that we are operating under the king's orders. He graciously permitted you to have until today to leave this area. If you could fetch Sabine here, then maybe we could work out terms to another arrangement. There is no need to be uncivil here."

The guard to whom Major Swift had been speaking nodded at his counterpart, and the second guard walked into the camp. The first guard turned back to Major Swift with a stare harder than diamonds. "We're a proud people, sir. We're not going anywhere, no matter what the king says."

"I mean no disrespect to you, good sir, but we both know that the king's orders supercede any other wishes."

"Sabine is a strong willed man. Let's see the king march up here and put his 'orders' into place," the guard responded. He crossed his arms over his chest in an expression that clearly indicated the conversation was at an end.

Major Swift turned toward Captain Finn and the two privates. "Have either of your gentlemen brought a light with you? I'm feeling the dire need for a cigar."

The two privates fumbled around in the pockets of their uniforms only to yield empty hands. "My apologies, sir, but we don't seem to have a light," said the taller of the two privates, Stephen.

Captain Finn rolled his eyes in exasperation and pulled out a match, which he light on the rough fabric of his vest. He held out the match to the Major's cigar. "Gentlemen, the first thing you ought to learn if you want to be promoted quickly, is that you will need to _always_ carry a light with you."

"It's a foul habit, Ben, and I'm trying to shake myself of it. Adopt a more healthy lifestyle, live longer, and all of that," Major Swift interjected.

"Yes but if you live longer, you're likely to encounter more wars and trivial disputes like this one," Ben responded wittily.

Major Swift took a deep drag on his cigar. From behind him, a dwarf-like elderly man garbed a number of garish silk clothes approached them with the assistance of a walking stick topped with a jar of incense. He was diminished even further by the shadow of a giant man whose rippling muscles were hardly obscured by the thick furs covering the giant's shoulders and chest. The two men walked to the entrance of the Dweller's camp but no further. "So, I hear you wanted to see me regarding Logan's deceit, you pompous lackey?"

Major Swift turned around and removed his cigar. "Hello again, Sabine. Is there any chance that we might end this conflict on reasonable terms?"

Sabine stomped his walking stick on the semi-frozen ground, causing a necklace of golden coins around his neck to jiggle in his frustration. "The only reasonable terms are that your soldiers depart from this valley and leave us be. This valley has been ours for many a generation, back to the Age of Heroes. The king has no right to remove us."

"Logan wants you to surrender this land for some reason. It's in your best interest to surrender to the king's wishes in a peaceful manner. Perhaps we could reach some amicable terms for the departure date of your people," Major Swift suggested.

"And why should this be made easy for Logan? Why should Logan be allowed to take something that was never his? He never learned to work the land of this valley. Logan has been a spoiled pup since the day he was born. My father, his father, and his father before him, we all lived on this land for generations. My people lived here for generations before a king of Albion ever existed. You will not take what is rightfully ours."

"So you would defy the orders of the king?" asked Edward, the shorter of the two privates.

Major Swift and Captain Finn cut glances back at the insolent private. "It isn't your place to talk during discussions such as this, Private Edward," Captain Finn warned.

"But these people are defying the orders of the king, the High Commander of the army. His orders supercede any other orders that we may have, but we are allowing them to defy our king?" Edward challenged. His tanned complexioned skin turned as red as a beet. "I will not permit such insolence!"

He turned and sprinted back to his horse, mounting it faster than Captain Finn or Major Swift could catch him. The rebellious private snapped the reins on the horse's bridle and rode into the Dweller camp, startling both the armed guards and Sabine's towering giant. The giant barely picked up and moved the Dwellers' leader before Private Edward rode into the camp. "Private Edward! Get back here or be arrested as an insurrectionist!" Major Swift bellowed.

Private Edward continued to ride into the camp and reached into his horse's saddlebags. While on horseback, he pulled out one bomb after the other, lit them, and flung them on the rooftops of various Dweller camp buildings. The bombs detonated upon impact and spread their hungry flames quickly. An alarm went off within the camp as the terrified Dwellers rushed to defend themselves from the rapidly spreading fires, which only intensified as more and more firebombs were thrown.

"Is this what your army resorts to, you pompous coward?" Sabine yelled at Major Swift.

"I had no idea that he was a radical! He is going against direct orders to keep this matter as calm as possible! These are not my orders," Major Swift yelled back.

Captain Finn's stunned expression at Edward's initial insolence turned into horror as the defiant private launched his fifth fire bomb onto the roof of a store. The Dwellers-men, women, and children-were caught off-guard by the attack. As the fires leapt from roofs to walls, they evacuated their homes and screamed in terror. Terrified mothers and fathers scooped up their children and tried to carry them to safety or leave the camp. Private Edward, in obvious anticipation of their fears, rode to the stables and broke the pens, while setting fire to their hay. The frightened animals fled, trampling over anyone who stood in their path to freedom.

Enraged, Captain Finn pulled out his Swift Irregular, aimed it, and fired it twice at the horse-mounted private. The first shot penetrated the private's left side; the second penetrated the private's back. He fell off the horse. Finn sprinted into the camp and ran to the private's side, followed up by Major Swift.

"What were you doing, Private Edward? How dare you violate direct orders from your superior officers!" Major Swift demanded.

The private clutched his profusely bleeding left side and gasped for air. He struggled to grin, even as blood gushed from his mouth from the wound in his back. "I didn't violate your orders, Major Swift. I followed the orders of King Logan. And it only...gets...better." The soldier lapsed into unconsciousness.

Gunshots rang out from the front entrance of the camp. Captain Finn and Major Swift turned toward the sounds, and Captain Finn's mouth dropped open. Mounted on horseback and running in on foot, a squadron of heavily armed mercenaries rushed through the barely guarded front entrance of the Dweller's camp. Captain Finn watched in horror as they gunned down Private Stephen and began gunning down the frightened, unarmed Dwellers running toward the entrance of their camp.

"Captain Finn, I order a retreat!" Major Swift yelled at the blond over the screams and gunfire.

"Major Swift, what about these people? It's our duty to protect them!"

"This is a tactical decision: We are two men with limited ammunition. By the time reinforcements arrive, we shall be part of a heap of bodies. Let us evacuate from this place as quickly as we can and live to fight another day!"

 _Bowerstone Castle_

Robin and Elise happily ran into the castle through the kitchen's rear entrance. The proper entrance for the royal brothers would have been the entrance through the royal library, but for once, Robin did not care about proper protocol. Jasper would have had a minor stroke. Sparks would have flown from Logan's hands. Walter would have frowned in disapproval. But Robin and Elise were happy, in love, and recklessly young.

The kitchen staff had congregated and were in deep discussion when Robin and Elise entered from the garden. Upon spotting Robin, the chef and other staff members turned with shocked expressions on their faces. They were clearly startled by Robin's presence. "Y-Your Highness, our apologies," the chef stammered, "we meant n-no harm by…"

Robin released Elise's hand and approached the kitchen staff with lowered, open hands. "What's going on here?"

"Y-Your Highness, we heard about the woman executed today in Industrial. W-We h-heard that the King ordered the execution b-because she stopped working." The chef swallowed but one of the wait staff nudged him in encouragement. "We wondered if this is a new policy for the king."

"I understand your concerns. This is news that greatly worries me as well. I am taking it upon myself to discuss with my brother the event that took place in Industrial and put your minds at ease. Please reassured that your fears will be addressed and resolved."

"Your Highness." Robin turned to find Sir Walter Beck standing at the door of the kitchen. Standing at six feet in height with grizzled gray hair and beard, Sir Walter cut a respectable figure where he stood due in part to his demeanor and in part to his experience as a soldier. Sir Walter had fought alongside King Sparrow for decades and was now a respected member of King Logan's council. Despite his age, he still presented a powerful form in his red and gold silk outfit.

"Sir Walter, is it time for my training lesson already?" Robin asked.

The old man chuckled. "Until your brother supplies more swords to replace the ones you've broken over the last week, then we would have to practice with wooden ones. The King has requested to speak with you, Prince Robin." Walter cut his eyes to Elise and added, "The King also wishes to speak with you, Lady Elise."

Elise stopped her conversation with one of the chef's assistants. "Very well, Sir Walter; I shall meet him in the throne room after I sample one of these delectable desserts being prepared."

"I'm afraid, Lady Elise, that he wishes to speak with you _now_."

Sir Walter turned on his heels and departed from the kitchen. Robin, feeling trepidation at the harsh tone of his mentor's words, took Elise's hand in his and followed Sir Walter into the castle. The long corridor from the kitchen to the dining hall felt longer than ever before. As they passed through the main hall of the castle's first floor, Robin heard a calamitous noise outside the castle. He raced to the nearest window and gaped at what he saw. Outside the castle's main doors, a squadron of Logan's Elite Guards formed a barricade against a mob of yelling villagers. Someone from the mob hurled a piece of rotten fruit and it splattered against the thick window pane. "Sir Walter, what is going on?"

Sir Walter joined Elise and Robin at the window. "Those villagers are protesting the shortages of food in the more impoverished sections of the city. Logan's tax policy has forced vendors to increase prices on all food sold within city limits. The merchants in the more wealthy sections of the city can afford it for the time being, but who knows for how long?"

As they watched, the Elite Guard took a firing squad stance. Robin heard a count off then the guard opened fire upon the crowd. Robin watched a dozen villagers collapse to the ground, horrified. "They can't...We've got to do something!" he yelped.

The crowd began to disperse but the Elite Guards reloaded. "I'm afraid there's nothing you can do within these walls, Your Highness. King Logan has ordered that you remain within the Castle."

Elise gasped as a woman fell to the ground and was walked upon by several of her protestors. "This is horrible!"

Robin whirled on Sir Walter. "Take me to my brother at once!"

Sir Walter led Robin and Elise up the grand central staircase of the castle to the throne room. Logan sat upon his throne in his purple and gold, intricately embroidered king's suit; he was flanked by another squadron of his Elite Guards. He sneered as Sir Walter, Robin, and Elise entered the throne room. "My dear brother, my father's loyal servant…and the spy."

"Logan, what are you talking about?" Robin asked.

The king stood from his throne, still sneering, and approached the trio. "I received intelligence some weeks ago that there was a spy sent into my court. Naturally, I set about locating this infiltration and protecting the state secrets of the kingdom. After a number of people had been interrogated, the trail led to and ended with one Lady Elise of Brightwood."

Robin glanced at Elise. She shook her head. "Your Majesty, I do not know who your sources have been, but my father and I have forever been loyal citizens of the kingdom. My father's ship-building company has been at your service since…"

Logan chuckled coldly. "If your father had not owned the largest ship-building company in my kingdom, then you would not have a place at my court. And if you had no place at my court, then you would have no opportunity to seduce my brother, the heir to the throne, and attempt to sway him to side with the rebellion brewing in my kingdom."

"R-Rebellion?" Robin repeated. "Logan, Elise is not a rebel. She is a good, loyal, faithful citizen of Albion, and…"

"And you have already proposed marriage to her, haven't you, dear brother?" Robin slowly nodded and Logan laughed even more coldly. "You are the center of her devious machinations. Elise planned to marry you and either turn you against me, or have your son and murder you. Either way, she would undo all the strength I have brought to the kingdom."

"Your Majesty…" Elise began.

"Your Majesty…" Sir Walter added.

"Logan, this cannot be true. It has to be a malicious rumor," Robin concluded.

The doors to the throne room opened, and several Elite Guards stormed in, pushing forward five wounded villagers in front of them. "Your Majesty, this scum has admitted to leading the mob that gathered in front of the Castle," one of the guards said. "We believe that they have information on the Rebellion. Shall we interrogate them?"

"No," Logan said flippantly, "just kill them."

"NO!" Robin yelled. As the Elite Guard pulled out his pistol to execute the nearest villager, Robin snatched a sword from the scabbard of the nearest Elite Guard and flung it at the armed soldier. Robin's weapon penetrated the soldier's shooting hand. Panting heavily, Robin turned to his brother and glared. "I will not stand by, Logan, and let you execute these innocent people. They have families! They have jobs! They are loyal citizens of this kingdom!"

"Do you think that you can decide who lives and who dies?" Logan sneered. Elise clung tightly to Robin's hand. Sir Walter's gaze darted from Robin to Elise to the villagers Robin had saved. "Do you think that you can make difficult life and death decisions, and live with the consequences of your choices, brother?" Robin glared in silence.

"Very well, _brother_ , make your decision. On one side, you have five people; they likely have children, families, and friends." Logan gestured to the villagers. "On the other, you have the woman you love, whose family you know, the woman you've chosen to marry. They are all traitors in my view. But I will show clemency today.

"Either the woman you love, or these five villagers, will be executed today for treason. There will be no trial, no appeal. I will execute on the spot. The other will spend their lives in prison. Which one shall it be?"

Robin's eyes widened. His heart pounded in his ears. He glanced at the cowering villagers. One of the women, a blonde with leathery skin, swooned and collapsed on the floor. Robin stared into Elise's big blue eyes. He stared back at the villagers.

"Please, Your Highness, I have two children," one of the men pleaded.

"Choose me, Robin. Let me go," Elise pleaded.

"Your Highness, my family needs me. I have five siblings. I work to feed them," pleaded another of the village women.

"Robin, you have to choose me."

"If you don't choose, brother, I will kill _all_ of them."

"Please, Robin."

Robin sadly turned to Elise and nodded in her direction. "Robin, I love you. Don't ever…"

Elise's words were cut off at a fireball slammed into her and set her aflame. "NOOOOOOOOO!" Robin released her hand as Elise's hair, skin, and clothes burned up. The throne room filled with the stench of her burning corpse as it thrashed around in death throes. Elise continued to scream in agony until she stopped moving. Walter retetched. Robin vomited. As Elise's body cooled, he reached out and gingerly touched her ashes. "How-how could you, Logan?"

"The way that you feel now, brother. Do not ever forget it." Logan cut his eyes to Sir Walter. "Take my brother to his room and leave him there until the dawn."


	3. Escape from the Castle

**Chapter 3: Escape from the Castle**

Robin awoke hours later, his face and purple silk pillows soaked from the tears he had cried. As he sat up, the dirty blond prince looked around his bedroom and realized that night had fallen over Albion. He swung his legs out of the bed in preparation to draw the curtains over his windows then stopped. Nighttime seemed ideal for the young prince's grief. He walked to the nearest window and stared out over the garden. The statues of his father and mother seemed to glow ethereally as though the moon had chosen to highlight them. His father or mother were the only ones who could stop Logan's tyranny, but Robin's mother had died in childbirth and his father had disappeared years ago. There was no way to intervene in the power that Logan wielded over the land of Albion. The thought of his own helplessness made Robin sob.

There was a rap at the door of his bedroom. "I'm not hungry! Go away!" Robin growled.

"I'm not here to bring you a meal," Sir Walter said, opening the bedroom door, "but Jasper thought it best that you should have some vittles." The old soldier opened the door wider, revealing the diminuitive butler close on his heels.

"I said, I'm not hungry." Robin turned away from Walter and Jasper, folding his arms over his chest defiantly.

"Your Highness, this isn't just about you. What Logan did today in the throne room, it shows that he's unstable and unpredictable. Things are only going to get worse," Sir Walter warned.

"How much worse? My father is gone; my mother is dead; and I had to make the choice to execute the woman I love as a traitor."

Jasper nervously wringed his hands together. "Your Highness, King Logan has a number of even worse measures in the works. Your brother will raise the taxes, build even more factories, and even drain the swamp in Mourningwood to grow even more cash crops."

"Your brother has plans to make the lives of the people of Albion even harder and more difficult than they already are," Sir Walter added. "We need to put a stop to his reign of tyranny, but it would require nothing less than a Hero."

"My father is gone, Sir Walter. There are no more Heroes left in Albion," Robin sighed.

Jasper and Sir Walter crossed the room to join Robin at the window. Sir Walter laid a comforting hand on Robin's back. "I believe that I'm looking at a Hero right now."

Robin's mouth dropped open. "Who, me?"

Sir Walter nodded. "I've been training you for months to see what you were made of. You've continually grown in strength and skill with ranged weapons in a way that only your father would have improved. You have Hero in your blood. And you're a natural leader; remember how you handled that uprising in the kitchen."

"I was just saying what came naturally."

"And that's even more important in a leader." Sir Walter patted Robin's back. "Come now, boy. It's time to see what you're truly made of and if my suspicions have been correct."

"But Logan forbade me from leaving my room. I can't go anywhere. The guards would report me," Robin objected.

"Oh, I wouldn't worry about that," Sir Walter chuckled. He unhooked a tin drinking cup from his waist and pulled out an empty bottle of whiskey from his jacket. Jasper trembled nervously at the sight of the bottle and cup. "Jasper and I here provided libations to the guards along your corridor. Jasper made sure to add sedatives to their cups, so we'll have ample time."

"Ample time for what?" Robin inquired.

"For our escape. Come on boy." Walter and Jasper led the way to the main doors of Robin's bedchamber and the young prince followed them. As the three men passed along the purple carpeted hallway, they passed members of Logan's Elite Guard slumped against the walls, slumbering from their drink and the sedative Jasper had provided.

"Wait, our escape? What about my clothes? What about gold?"

"I agree with His Royal Highness," Jasper added. "We need to pack several items before we depart for this escape. The prince has several pieces of luggage that would be most accommodating."

"I'm carrying a thousand gold coins on my person right now," Sir Walter huffed as they scampered along the hall, "but we haven't the time for any clothes or suitcases. We have to travel lightly."

"At least let me get some more gold from the treasury," Robin objected. "One thousand gold will not last us a day."

Sir Walter pushed open the doors leading directly to the castle garden. "One thousand gold will be enough to grease the palms that we need to grease. The rest will be up to us to make. You may have to live a little less extravagantly for a time, Your Highness."

The three men crossed the enormous garden. "There's something unsettling about this garden at night," Jasper commented.

"No time for fear, old friend. We've got to find out if my instincts are correct, and the Prince is truly a Hero before we escape the Castle," Walter responded. As they entered the shadow of the Catacombs, Robin shuddered. He hadn't been inside the Catacombs since the formal interrment of his father's body-even though there was no body to bury. Robin folded his arms across his chest to protect himself from the sudden cold feeling embracing his body and looked around the garden. He heard Sir Walter unlock the Catacombs and followed Walter and Jasper inside, still glancing backwards.

The catacombs were dark, dank, and cool with a long, broad staircase guiding the three men into the main chamber. Robin vaguely remembered that there were supposed to be candles along the stairs but none were lit. The walls felt like they were closing in around him. Cold, clammy, and dripping with moisture, the walls of the hallway leading to the dimly lit main chamber. Robin shuddered against the cold, as his elegant clothes provided little to no protection.

Entering the main chamber, the three men found two intricately carved crypts, one for the late Queen Eleanor and one for the missing King Sparrow. Robin was in awe at the detail that had gone into the burial chamber. The stone walls were adorned with intricately ccarved scenes from King Sparrow's life as Hero: as a young man discovering the Guild Seal; vanquishing Dash in Rookridge; his victory over the Crucible; his escape from the Spire; being crowned King,; and marrying Queen Eleanor. The images looked down upon the stone crypts of the King and Queen. Flickering candles lined the walls and illuminated the main funeral chamber.

As they entered the main chamber, Walter and Jasper approached the crypts. But Robin felt reluctant to approach closer to his own parents' crypts for reasons that he could not readily explain. Sir Walter turned back to find the young Prince still standing beside the stairs into the main chamber. "Come on boy, we need you up here. Quit lollygagging!" he barked.

"What do I have to do?" Robin inquired.

Sir Walter squatted down on his hands and knees. "We need to find the trigger that reveals a Guild Seal. Jasper, Robin, come help me."

"What's a Guild Seal?" Robin asked.

"A Guild Seal is...well, it's a magical thing that your father used to use for his Hero stuff. I don't know how that works exactly, but he told me that he would conceal it in this sanctuary for 'when the time came.' I would assume that time is now."

Jasper began his search around the late Queen's tomb. "What exactly would it look like?"

"It would look like...well, I'm not sure entirely. But when you see it, just make sure to use it for whatever your father wants it used for."

Robin shrugged at Sr Walter's vague instructions and looked around the chamber. His eyes were drawn consistently to a stone statue of a hooded woman looming over the tombs at their head. The woman's hands were clasped to her chest unlike any other carving. There was something about the earnestness of the female figure's face, something about the way that her hands were held to her chest, as though there were an amazing secret there. Robin walked forward, in a trance-like state, to take hold of the statue's hands and gave them a tug. The hands lowered and revealed a large gold disc, overlaid with lapis lazuli and set with sapphires in crescent shapes on the disc.

He picked up the disc. It was warm to his touch. "Is this what you were looking for, Walter?"

Sir Walter turned and stared at the disc. "Well, that looks like it might be it. But the way your father explained it, something is supposed to…"

The Guild Seal grew warmer and then hot in Robin's hands. A blinding light emanated from the Seal but Robin couldn't release it. He screamed in pain as the light filled the room and surrounded him completely.

 _Mistpeak Valley_

Night had fallen over the land of Albion. It was an ominous night in the Mistpeak Valley as the sky was filled with the reflection of the half dozen fires burning in the Dweller village and from the Swift Brigade's camp. A line of torch fires ascended up a narrow dirt road at the southern end of the valley, and a line of torch fires ascended into the mountains at the northern end of the valley. Despite the slow pace at which both retreats moved, there was a loud, raucous celebration taking place still in the valley floor. Lively music played and peals of festive laughter filled the cool night air. Inside the mercenaries' camp, the innumerable bandits celebrated their double sided victory with plentiful drink, whores who had abandoned the army's camp, and incredible music.

Despite the victory, there was only one person in the Bandit camp who did not celebrate.

He occupied the largest, most lavish tent in the Bandit camp. It was a tent cobbled together from the remnants of Major Swift's tent and Sabine's tent in an effort to demonstrate his supremacy and due to his size. While the other bandits celebrated, their leader remained in his tent and studied a map of Albion. His giant, girthy frame leaned over a narrow wooden table, which groaned under the weight of his hands. The man stood nearly seven feet tall with muscles rippling throughout his frame. His broad shoulders and expansive chest stretched the limits of his leather vest, to which a red eagle clung to desperate threads, and his bright red hair was cut into a stout mohawk. Scars decorated the man's face like medals would have adorned a general's. His left eye, although cloudy with scar tissue, seemed to give him eagle eye sharpness in his right eye.

This was Captain Lark Saker, leader of the bandits of Mistpeak Valley.

Saker (as he preferred to be called by his enemies and Captain, as he preferred to be called by his men) growled as he studied the map of Albion and removed the thick cigar on which he smoked. Someone was approaching his tent. Donning steel gauntlets, Saker rarely used any other weapons.

The silk tent opening parted. "Captain," said a voice that Saker recognized, "why aren't you with the rest of us? There's a celebration going on. It's all because of you. Come and join us!"

Saker stood upright and turned on the man who had spoken. "Jimmy, I'm not celebrating right now because there's still a lot of work to be done. Do you know where we are right now, Jimmy?"

"Uh, we're in Mistpeak, Captain."

"Mistpeak Valley controls the land trade routes between Rookridge, Brightwood, and Bowerstone going to Brightwall. This is an area with a lot of money flowing through it. We stand to make that money flow into our hands, do you know that, Jimmy?" Saker removed the cigar from his mouth and tapped it to release some of the ashes.

"Right, Captain, but uh, do you really think King Logan is just going to let us take control of the whole valley?" Saker put his cigar back in his mouth and narrowed his eyes at Jimmy. "No disrespect, Captain, but how are we going to keep control of the valley? The Swift Brigade won't be the last of the men King Logan sends."

"That's what I'm planning, Jimmy. We're going to put a chokehold on Brightwall and the Dwellers. Come look at this." Jimmy walked to Saker's side and joined him in looking over the map. "Right here, King Logan has the Mistpeak Monorail running between here and Millfields. Do you know what's in Millfields, Jimmy?" Jimmy shrugged his shoulders. "Nobles, aristocrats, direct access to Bowerstone: If King Logan even threatens us again, we'll invade Millfields. We'll knock on the King's front door. He won't know what hit him."

 _Somewhere_

Robin felt groggy and confused as the light waned. In fact, he felt more than confused. He felt _everything_. He felt his heart beating in his chest, the thin hairs on his arms against the linen of his elegant shirt, and even every strand of his dirty blond hair moving in the slight breeze. As his eyes cleared, Robin looked around. He stood in the midst of a space that he could only describe as ethereal before what appeared to be Bowerstone Castle. Robin attempted to move forward but in a flash of light, a woman in a red and gold shroud appeared before him. Robin jumped back just a little.

"You have done well to reach this place, young prince. But it is only the first step on your journey," the woman said.

"Who are you? Where am I?" Robin asked.

The woman folded her hands together in front of her. "I am Theresa of the Spire. This place you see before you, I have created from your memories. You may call it the Road to Rule. It is a measurement of who you will become."

"What do you mean?"

"The land of Albion cries out for a Hero. Your brother, the King, has proven himself to be a tyrant. It is your destiny to become the great Hero that Albion needs at this time. But to become the Hero it needs, you will need to see the world outside the Castle."

"But I'm not a Hero. I know you think so and I know Walter thinks so, but…"

"You are a Hero," Theresa said, cutting him off. "You were born of Heroic lineage. You possess within in your the Heroic gifts of Will, Strength, and Skill. And you alone can use all three." Theresa casually waved her right hand and Robin's right hand was enclosed in a leather gauntlet with an eerie magical glow. "You have never used Will, because unlike your brother, you do not possess the ability to channel Will freely. I have provided you with a magical gauntlet through which you can channel Will as you learn new spells." Theresa waved her right hand again, and a sheet of parchment appeared in Robin's left hand. "There is your first spell. Now, go and return through the portal to begin your journey as a Hero."

Theresa vanished in another flash of light, and revealed a swirling portal of dazzling gray and white light. Robin studied the gauntlet around his hand. The brown leather clung to his skin like another layer and seemed to share the same heat as his own body. He felt his pulse inside the gauntlet's leather layers. A small stone set in the palm glowed warmly with a swirl of colors. Robin had seen Logan generate magic almost his entire life, but never had his brother worn a gauntlet like the one on his hand. His brother had to be a much more powerful Will User. The very thought of encountering Logan in battle made the teenage prince nervous. Closing his eyes, Robin hoped that that he would not encounter his brother on the other side of the portal. He walked through.

In another flash of blinding white light, Robin returned to the catacombs. He stumbled slightly as his eyes adjusted to the dimmer light. "Well," Sir Walter chuckled, "looks like it worked. Good thing too."

"Why is that?" Jasper asked.

"Well, according to Sparrow, the only way out of the catacombs would be for a Hero to unlock the way."

Robin felt a mite of bitterness at his father's name. As the younger of Sparrow's two sons, he had always been compared to Logan, and now he was being compared to his father. "You might have mentioned that, Walter. What if it didn't work?"

"Well it did," Walter responded dismissively. "Now, see that symbol on the floor there?" Robin looked down and observed a carving like the Guild Seal in his left hand, set into the floor between his mother's and father's crypts. Walter stepped forward to stand on it and Jasper followed. "You'll need to use your Will to transport us from this crypt. Come on, boy, before we're found."

"The King will be able to follow us, Walter. Or did you even consider that?" Jasper rebuked the old soldier.

"Logan doesn't have a Guild Seal, and Robin does. That's part of the Hero magic."

Robin felt as uncertain as Jasper about Walter's statement, but they had no choice. There was no telling how long Walter's sleeping potion would affect the Castle guards. "I've never done this before, Walter."

"Just use your Will so that Hero magic gets us out of here. Stand here, boy." Robin cautiously stepped forward. "Okay, now, think about all that power inside you. Feel it moving through your hands? It's like lightning, it's fire, it's ice. It's the power to change everything around you." Robin felt something building inside his hands but it didn't feel like power to change the world. It felt like heat. Sweat built on his forehead from the heat rising inside his body. "Now, let it go!"

Robin concentrated on pushing the force from his hands. An inferno surged from his hands, both the one wearing the gauntlet and the one not wearing the gauntlet, and surrounded the three men. Terrified, Robin tried to stop the explosive force but the rolling flames did not harm his companions. Instead, all three of them were wrapped in a warm white light and the catacombs vanished in a blink.


	4. Greatness in Greatwood

**Chapter 4: Greatness in Greatwood**

 _The Old Heroes' Guild_

When the blinding light vanished, Robin, Walter, and Jasper found themselves standing in a dank, drafty, dimly lit room. Jasper collapsed to the floor without hesitation. Robin dropped to one knee and knelt beside his butler. "Jasper, are you alright?"

The elderly butler upright on the floor and clutched his forehead. "Yes, yes, I'm alright, your Highness. It just seems that method of travel is a bit exhausting."

"Perhaps for the faint of heart, old friend," Walter laughed. "I'm doing quite fine."

"I'm far from being 'faint of heart,' Walter." Jasper stood up and brushed off his clothes. "I fought alongside you in battle, and as I recall, _I_ wasn't the one alarmed when we battled on Knothole Island and we were trapped inside that cave…."

Walter cleared his throat. "Yes, well, we all are mortal men here. Each of us has his own weaknesses and strengths. No need to be petty about it."

"What is this place?" Robin asked, looking around the room. Innumerable candles lined the walls but many of them had expired, giving the room a faint golden glow and adorning the walls with runs of melted wax. A giant table occupied the center of the room. Four doors lined the walls, spaced at the exact same intervals. Robin approached the table and found that it was topped by a topographical map of Albion, as well as several other lands he did not recognize.

"This must be your father's Sanctuary." Walter and Jasper marveled at the size of the chamber just as Robin did. "He spoke quite often of this place. Said he had built it where the old Heroes' Guild was. Marvelous place, isn't it?"

"Didn't His Majesty have this place destroyed and built over it?" Jasper asked.

"He built over it," Walter agreed, "but this place is too strong to be destroyed. You can feel the magic here. There's no way for Logan to destroy it."

"Did Logan come here too?" Robin asked.

"I don't believe he actually reached the Sanctuary. Your brother was a Will User from birth. You didn't begin to show the promise of becoming a Hero until just recently."

Walter's words stung Robin. It wasn't enough that he had grown up knowing that Logan would follow his father's footsteps and become King; he had grown up knowing that Logan was also meant to become a Hero like their father. Logan, like their father, had dark blue eyes. Logan, like their father, was a man of great renown while many people only knew Robin because he was the Prince. If only Robin had been better and shown he was a Hero, then Logan's reign of terror would never have happened. Elise would be alive.

Robin sighed and set his face firm. "So how do I use this place?"

Walter walked over to the doors and studied them. Robin realized then that each door had a gold symbol etched into a wooden emblem over it. One had a pistol crossed with a sword; another had a gold hanger; the third had a money bag; and the fourth had a globe. "Hmm, well it seems to me that this one," Walter pointed to the door with weapons, "is some sort of armory. This one should be a closet of some sort, and this one might have some gold in there." Walter pointed to the second and third doors.

Robin heard the turning of pages and turned to find Jasper leafing through a thin tome on the map table. "Yes, and it appears that our method of escape from the Sanctuary is through this map. Your Highness, if you should use this map and select a certain location, then it will allow you to transport, via your Guild Seal, to the location of your choice."

Robin approached the table. "Hold on there, boy," Walter interrupted. "Before you go about exploring all of Albion, I think that we should get you properly equipped."

"Equipped for what?"

"You've never been out of the Castle, Prince Robin, and I hate to think of the awakening you would encounter when you venture into the world." Walter turned the worn gold knob of the weapons' room door and the doors slid apart. Robin and Jasper followed him into the weapons' room.

Lining the walls on both sides of the room, there were kneeling statues holding up swords, hammers, axes, pistols, and rifles over their lowered heads. Robin studied the gold plates inscribed beneath each of the statues as he passed them. One read "Hal's Sword"; a golden cleaver read, "The Rising Sun," an axe read "Axe of Disharmony," and a katana was labeled "The Daichi." Among the guns, Robin found "Hal's Rifle," "Steel Clockwork Pistol," and "Steel Turret Pistol." Each weapon had a description of the weapon's background written in neat, almost childlike cursive.

Jasper knelt down beside Robin to examine the Hal's Rifle. "It appears that your father took great care to carve each of these labels himself. This is, after all, his writing style."

"Were these his weapons?" Robin inquired.

"Yes, Your Highness."

Robin reached out to grab a weapon then hesitated. "You wouldn't happen to know which weapons were his favorites, would you?"

Jasper smiled knowingly. "He preferred the Axe and the rifle, as it loaded unusually fast."

Robin picked up the rifle and the Axe of Disharmony. Both were incredibly heavy for his small frame. He almost bent in half from the weight. "Your Highness might find it useful to equip yourself with the same device as your father used," Walter suggested. He held out a brown leather harness with straps for Robin's arms and a scabbard that would lie across his back.

"Thanks, Walter." Robin put the harness on and slipped the sword into its scabbard. "Not quite sure how I'll be much of a fighter though. I can barely lift a sword."

"According to your father's journal," Jasper stated, "your Heroic abilities will improve with use. Your Will gets stronger the more you use magic. Your Strength grows the more you fight with melee weapons, and your Skill grows the more you use ranged weapons."

"Oh." Robin reluctantly returned to the map table and looked down upon Albion. "So how exactly does this work?"

"Apparently, your father discovered a number of Cullis Gates and Guild Seals buried throughout Albion. Your Guild Seal should still allow you to access these Cullis Gates for transportation as long as they are intact. Simply activate your Guild Seal, concentrate on your destination, and you'll be there."

"You should get started in Greatwood. Some of the forest folk there feel quite disenfranchised by Logan's policies. Let's see what we can do to alleviate that problem," Walter suggested.

Robin pulled out his Guild Seal and held it in his hand. As instructed, Robin thought of the Greatwood Forest, which he had been told was an untamed forest just north of Bowerstone. The mere thought of being among the wild animals made him uneasy. "Are you going with me?"

"For your first adventure? I'll go with you, but an old soldier like me won't be of much help." Walter walked up to Robin, placed a hand on the prince's right shoulder, and the pair disappeared from the Sanctuary in another flash of brilliant white light.

 _Bowerstone Castle_

King Logan was unable to sleep. And when the king was unable to sleep, he was never in a good mood.

The king stormed from his bedchamber in full royal regalia, but his chestnut brown hair was far from its usual immaculate perfection. Sparks jumped from his fingertips and a cold breeze was close on his heels. "CAPTAIN! WHERE IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD?" he roared. A frightened servant sprinted out of sight down the corridor. "WHERE IS THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD?"

Logan pointed his hand at a suit of armor; it exploded in a shower of silver pieces and sparks. "I WANT THE CAPTAIN OF THE GUARD NOW!"

"My king?" The captain of the guard trotted down the corridor, his sword clanging against the armor of his leather boots. He bowed as he approached Logan. Logan panted in anger, his pale face darkened with anger. "I apologize for my tardiness, your Majesty. What do you need of me?"

Logan sighed and smoothed back his unruly hair. Sparks still jumped from his hands but as the king's anger cooled, his complexion resumed its placid paleness. "Is the Castle secure, Captain?"

"Yes, Your Majesty: You have at your disposal no less than 128 men to protect the Castle grounds. They operate on three 24 hour a day shifts. From the front gate to the Castle garden, the entire Castle is secure."

"I trust completely that you will provide the best protection after the incident earlier today? I cannot afford lack of security."

"Yes, Your Majesty. The men responsible for the lapse have been punished. They now understand the importance of protecting the royal brothers."

Logan flinched at the word "brothers." "Mmm, yes, bring my brother to me. There are certain lessons that he has yet to learn. I feel that I have invested too much of my brother's youth in pampering him. The prince must learn savagery and discipline."

The captain bowed again. "Yes, Your Majesty." He turned and disappeared down the corridor.

Logan folded his hands behind his back and walked down the stairs to the throne room. He opened his mouth to express a thought then realized that something was missing: Jasper, the butler who was always present, was suddenly absent. Logan raised an eyebrow at the unusual circumstance but continued to the throne room. As he passed a footman, Logan used his Force Push spell to stop the footman in his steps. "I demand the presence of Jasper at the throne room at once. Do it as your life depends upon it."

"Yes, Your Majesty." The young footman departed at a sprint.

Logan was unsettled. In less than half a day, he had discovered a spy was engaged to his own brother, had forced house arrest upon his brother, and discovered an alarming lack of security in the Castle. He was unaccustomed to being unsettled. After all, it was his destiny as Albion's king to become its savior. As he entered the throne room, Logan felt the fullness of his destiny upon him. He was great because he was meant to be great. He was feared because he was supposed to be feared.

He sat upon his throne and waited for the arrival of the men he had summoned. Within seconds both the Captain and the footman had arrived. The footman was clearly out of breath and flushed from an exhausting run. "Your Majesty," the footman began, "I have searched extensively but I cannot find Mister Jasper anywhere."

"And the prince is not in his chambers," the captain reported.

Logan's grip on the arms of the throne tightened. The temperature in the throne room rose considerably and sparks flew from his hands with increasing intensity. "Jasper...is gone. Robin...is gone. Tell me, captain, how do you propose to provide the best possible protection when my brother and my butler have escaped from the Castle?"

"Your Majesty, I…"

"Jasper absconded from the Castle with my brother in attempt to destabilize the throne," Logan interrupted. "With no other heir, the only way to take my kingdom from me is to poison my own brother against me. Jasper's loyalties lie more with my father and _that_ is why he and my brother have disappeared."

The captain of the Elite Guard bowed his head in agreement. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"And, when you do find them, Jasper is mine to punish."

 _Greatwood Forest_

A few miles north of Bowerstone, Robin and Sir Walter appeared in Greatwood Forest in a flash of dazzling white light. Since the Cullis Gate on which they arrived was in the middle of an old thicket of bushes and trees, the two men found their clothes tangled on the woody limbs around them. Robin groaned. "My clothes are ruined!"

Walter pulled his sword from its scabbard and hacked at the branches clutching the two of them. "You're a Hero now, boy. This isn't the last time your clothes will be dirty or torn." Walter pushed the debris off them and continued to cut a path through the dead bushes. Robin pulled out his sword and joined his mentor's effort to escape. "Aye, as a soldier, I saw my fair share of guts and blood on the battlefield and on my garments. After a while, you'll develop a stomach for it."

Robin recoiled at the thought of someone's internal organs on his clothes but said nothing until the two men had reached the main path. By then, Robin's elegant coat and pants were ripped and his boots were stained and torn. He would have complained about the soreness in his arms but by the time he slipped his sword back into its scabbard, the aches had healed. "Are your arms as sore as mine?" Walter asked.

"Not at all. I could go all day if I needed to," Robin laughed.

"Must be one of the perks to being a Hero."

Robin studied the forest around them. The towering, ancient trees loomed overhead and formed a verdant canopy over a packed dirt path. Light bird songs filled the calm air. The little sunlight that trickled to the forest floor felt different on Robin's skin than the sun in Bowerstone. The young prince felt as though he had traveled to an entirely different world. "Why didn't anyone ever tell me about this forest?"

"Logan felt it was best to keep you as unaware as possible about the world outside of the castle."

"Has he ever been here?"

"Not that I can recall. He wouldn't have the ability to travel by Cullis Gate and he hasn't made any voyages within Albion either. Logan prefers to stay out of touch with his people." Walter started down the path into Greatwood. "There have been rumors of an ancient magical force in these woods, one that keeps the forest thriving but also keeps the forest from being settled."

"Well, as long as it is benevolent…"

"The only ones who have seen this force in action would be the traders who occasionally walk or ride through this area. At least, it's the ones who survive."

Robin shivered and it wasn't due to a drop in temperature. "Let's just hope that…." Before Robin could finish his sentence, he found himself trapped in a cage of thorny vines. The prince glanced at Walter, and saw his mentor strugging against his own cage of thorny vines. "Walter! What's going on?"

An orangish light bounced down from the tree branches high above them and landed on the ground, revealing a frail but sinister looking creature. It had black eyes, pale skin, and tiny wings to keep its body aloft at random. The creature cackled with obvious evil intentions. "I think that would be the magic force everyone has been talking about," Walter replied.


End file.
